Comics!

Now that we’ve been discussing the use of comics in technical communication, it’s time for you to create your own.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to take your instructions or technical description and adapt it into a comics format. It can either be a direct adaptation from your instructions or description to a comic, or a combination of your instructions and description into a comic. The first step is to make a script/summary of your instructions or description. The second step is to create the actual visual representation.

A lot of your information will have to be shifted and adapted to fit this new format. Aside from that, your audience may be broader now, so you’ll also have to consider what this new audience expects. You’ll have to engage critically and put yourself in their shoes to aid this.

The Script

The first step towards creating visual comics is purely writing. This stage is the script. Like an outline to a paper or an annotated bibliography to a research project, the script is the drafting stage of your finished product. Most of you have probably never created a document like this. Further on there are some great tips (provided by [i.e., stolen from] Tim Mucci).

Now is the time to begin planning how you can take your written copy and turn it into a graphical representation. Will you follow McCloud’s approach of having a drawn narrator? Though this isn’t necessary, it probably will make things easiest (what will this narrator be?). Will you create a straightforward piece or will you rely more on an abstract representation? These will be the things you need to justify and think about.

Following Mucci’s example, format your script to look like this:

Page 1
Panel 1
Here is where you write what is happening in this panel.
Character dialog
“This is a character speaking.”
Panel 2
Something else is happening now.
Mucci also points out that, “you’re in control page by page and panel to panel. Each page of comic script allows for about one to nine panels; often less but rarely ever more. Do not try to pack too much into a page unless it serves your story to do so” (Mucci). Have fun with this and use the examples in class (or look for some on the internet) to base your comic on.
Planning

You’ll probably find that your script and your finished product will not be exactly the same. Be willing and prepared to change your plans as you go if you find something isn’t working. Some questions to consider as you do this are as follows:
• What elements of my instructions/descriptions are the most essential? How will I include them in my comics?
• What images should I choose to represent my ideas? Why will I choose those images?
• What will my audience expect? What will they be expecting from my instructions/description? How is this different from the audience for my original instructions/description (if it is)? How will I adapt my instructions to meet this new audience and fit this new medium?

Drafting

How you create this is up to you, but here are some easy methods to try out:

1. You can draw (either digitally or by hand and then scan) your images and organize them in a program like InDesign.
2. You can use one of the following programs (or a combination of them):
• Comic Life 3 (you can download a free month trial for Mac or Windows at plasq.com)
• Toon Doo (it’s free but costs to export images, so you can just use a screenshot and put them into a different program)
• Pixton (this one has some great avatar capabilities)

Requirements

The comics should:
1. follow the instructions or description requirements and accomplish their purposes
2. have between three to nine panels per page (you can justify more or less if needed) and be between four and seven pages long
3. have a combination of box text, dialog text, and graphics
4. use original images (either photographs or drawings)
5. be created in a pdf format (it does not have to be in color)
Tim Mucci’s advice from ehow.com:
Try to be concise and thoughtful. Be sure to label each page and panel, and if a page of script runs longer than a single typed page be sure to make a note of it. It’s as simple as writing: Page 1 (cont.) Be certain that your grammar and spelling are straightforward and correct.
An important thing to keep in mind is how each panel flows into the next. You should try your best to make each transition seamless; this will not only make your book easier to read, but will give the artist a great flow to work off of.
When I write I try to treat each page as if it were a short story, or an old-style cliffhanger. Each page has a beginning, middle and end. Of course the end of the page is not the end of the story so you want to give that last panel a great tense moment, this way the reader will want to burn through each page.
Now, to make matters even more complicated, I like to write each panel the same way. Every panel should naturally lead to the next in some fashion, just as each page leads to the next. A great way to think about this is if you were to take a movie and create a series of images out of it, you’d only want to select those key frames that tell the story and that lead to the next frame of the film. You’d excise all those boring frames until you had only the core images of the film. It’s no different in a comic. Only keep what you need, and keep the story moving forward.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is to never repeat, in captions or dialog, what is visually happening on the page. This creates a redundant layering of information and tends to bore readers. The words should always be supplemental to the pictures and vice-versa.
Be aware of transitions and experiment with them. Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. Notice how they switch scenes and try to adapt that to your work. See what works, and what doesn’t. Poor pacing and poor transitions can be just as distracting as poor writing, or redundant dialog.
Be very aware of how much text you’re putting into each panel. Each speech balloon shouldn’t contain much more than 20 to 25 words, and each panel shouldn’t contain more than 30 to 35 words.
Comics are an amazing storytelling tool, they aren’t bound by time restrictions like television or movies, every person who reads a comic is free to read at their own pace. The next time you’re reading a comic really pay attention to the craftsmanship that went into it. Each element should reflect off of and inform upon every other element.
Mucci, Tim. “How To Write An Awesome Comic Book Script.” Ehow.com. 2011. Web. 5 April, 2011.
Now that we’ve been discussing the use of comics in technical communication, it’s time for you to create your own.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to take your instructions or technical description and adapt it into a comics format. It can either be a direct adaptation from your instructions or description to a comic, or a combination of your instructions and description into a comic. The first step is to make a script/summary of your instructions or description. The second step is to create the actual visual representation.

A lot of your information will have to be shifted and adapted to fit this new format. Aside from that, your audience may be broader now, so you’ll also have to consider what this new audience expects. You’ll have to engage critically and put yourself in their shoes to aid this.

The Script

The first step towards creating visual comics is purely writing. This stage is the script. Like an outline to a paper or an annotated bibliography to a research project, the script is the drafting stage of your finished product. Most of you have probably never created a document like this. Further on there are some great tips (provided by [i.e., stolen from] Tim Mucci).

Now is the time to begin planning how you can take your written copy and turn it into a graphical representation. Will you follow McCloud’s approach of having a drawn narrator? Though this isn’t necessary, it probably will make things easiest (what will this narrator be?). Will you create a straightforward piece or will you rely more on an abstract representation? These will be the things you need to justify and think about.

Following Mucci’s example, format your script to look like this:

Page 1
Panel 1
Here is where you write what is happening in this panel.
Character dialog
“This is a character speaking.”
Panel 2
Something else is happening now.
Mucci also points out that, “you’re in control page by page and panel to panel. Each page of comic script allows for about one to nine panels; often less but rarely ever more. Do not try to pack too much into a page unless it serves your story to do so” (Mucci). Have fun with this and use the examples in class (or look for some on the internet) to base your comic on.
Planning

You’ll probably find that your script and your finished product will not be exactly the same. Be willing and prepared to change your plans as you go if you find something isn’t working. Some questions to consider as you do this are as follows:
• What elements of my instructions/descriptions are the most essential? How will I include them in my comics?
• What images should I choose to represent my ideas? Why will I choose those images?
• What will my audience expect? What will they be expecting from my instructions/description? How is this different from the audience for my original instructions/description (if it is)? How will I adapt my instructions to meet this new audience and fit this new medium?

Drafting

How you create this is up to you, but here are some easy methods to try out:

1. You can draw (either digitally or by hand and then scan) your images and organize them in a program like InDesign.
2. You can use one of the following programs (or a combination of them):
• Comic Life 3 (you can download a free month trial for Mac or Windows at plasq.com)
• Toon Doo (it’s free but costs to export images, so you can just use a screenshot and put them into a different program)
• Pixton (this one has some great avatar capabilities)

Requirements

The comics should:
1. follow the instructions or description requirements and accomplish their purposes
2. have between three to nine panels per page (you can justify more or less if needed) and be between four and seven pages long
3. have a combination of box text, dialog text, and graphics
4. use original images (either photographs or drawings)
5. be created in a pdf format (it does not have to be in color)
Tim Mucci’s advice from ehow.com:
Try to be concise and thoughtful. Be sure to label each page and panel, and if a page of script runs longer than a single typed page be sure to make a note of it. It’s as simple as writing: Page 1 (cont.) Be certain that your grammar and spelling are straightforward and correct.
An important thing to keep in mind is how each panel flows into the next. You should try your best to make each transition seamless; this will not only make your book easier to read, but will give the artist a great flow to work off of.
When I write I try to treat each page as if it were a short story, or an old-style cliffhanger. Each page has a beginning, middle and end. Of course the end of the page is not the end of the story so you want to give that last panel a great tense moment, this way the reader will want to burn through each page.
Now, to make matters even more complicated, I like to write each panel the same way. Every panel should naturally lead to the next in some fashion, just as each page leads to the next. A great way to think about this is if you were to take a movie and create a series of images out of it, you’d only want to select those key frames that tell the story and that lead to the next frame of the film. You’d excise all those boring frames until you had only the core images of the film. It’s no different in a comic. Only keep what you need, and keep the story moving forward.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is to never repeat, in captions or dialog, what is visually happening on the page. This creates a redundant layering of information and tends to bore readers. The words should always be supplemental to the pictures and vice-versa.
Be aware of transitions and experiment with them. Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. Notice how they switch scenes and try to adapt that to your work. See what works, and what doesn’t. Poor pacing and poor transitions can be just as distracting as poor writing, or redundant dialog.
Be very aware of how much text you’re putting into each panel. Each speech balloon shouldn’t contain much more than 20 to 25 words, and each panel shouldn’t contain more than 30 to 35 words.
Comics are an amazing storytelling tool, they aren’t bound by time restrictions like television or movies, every person who reads a comic is free to read at their own pace. The next time you’re reading a comic really pay attention to the craftsmanship that went into it. Each element should reflect off of and inform upon every other element.
Mucci, Tim. “How To Write An Awesome Comic Book Script.” Ehow.com. 2011. Web. 5 April, 2011.

Comics!

Now that we’ve been discussing the use of comics in technical communication, it’s time for you to create your own.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to take your instructions or technical description and adapt it into a comics format. It can either be a direct adaptation from your instructions or description to a comic, or a combination of your instructions and description into a comic. The first step is to make a script/summary of your instructions or description. The second step is to create the actual visual representation.

A lot of your information will have to be shifted and adapted to fit this new format. Aside from that, your audience may be broader now, so you’ll also have to consider what this new audience expects. You’ll have to engage critically and put yourself in their shoes to aid this.

The Script

The first step towards creating visual comics is purely writing. This stage is the script. Like an outline to a paper or an annotated bibliography to a research project, the script is the drafting stage of your finished product. Most of you have probably never created a document like this. Further on there are some great tips (provided by [i.e., stolen from] Tim Mucci).

Now is the time to begin planning how you can take your written copy and turn it into a graphical representation. Will you follow McCloud’s approach of having a drawn narrator? Though this isn’t necessary, it probably will make things easiest (what will this narrator be?). Will you create a straightforward piece or will you rely more on an abstract representation? These will be the things you need to justify and think about.

Following Mucci’s example, format your script to look like this:

Page 1
Panel 1
Here is where you write what is happening in this panel.
Character dialog
“This is a character speaking.”
Panel 2
Something else is happening now.
Mucci also points out that, “you’re in control page by page and panel to panel. Each page of comic script allows for about one to nine panels; often less but rarely ever more. Do not try to pack too much into a page unless it serves your story to do so” (Mucci). Have fun with this and use the examples in class (or look for some on the internet) to base your comic on.
Planning

You’ll probably find that your script and your finished product will not be exactly the same. Be willing and prepared to change your plans as you go if you find something isn’t working. Some questions to consider as you do this are as follows:
• What elements of my instructions/descriptions are the most essential? How will I include them in my comics?
• What images should I choose to represent my ideas? Why will I choose those images?
• What will my audience expect? What will they be expecting from my instructions/description? How is this different from the audience for my original instructions/description (if it is)? How will I adapt my instructions to meet this new audience and fit this new medium?

Drafting

How you create this is up to you, but here are some easy methods to try out:

1. You can draw (either digitally or by hand and then scan) your images and organize them in a program like InDesign.
2. You can use one of the following programs (or a combination of them):
• Comic Life 3 (you can download a free month trial for Mac or Windows at plasq.com)
• Toon Doo (it’s free but costs to export images, so you can just use a screenshot and put them into a different program)
• Pixton (this one has some great avatar capabilities)

Requirements

The comics should:
1. follow the instructions or description requirements and accomplish their purposes
2. have between three to nine panels per page (you can justify more or less if needed) and be between four and seven pages long
3. have a combination of box text, dialog text, and graphics
4. use original images (either photographs or drawings)
5. be created in a pdf format (it does not have to be in color)
Tim Mucci’s advice from ehow.com:
Try to be concise and thoughtful. Be sure to label each page and panel, and if a page of script runs longer than a single typed page be sure to make a note of it. It’s as simple as writing: Page 1 (cont.) Be certain that your grammar and spelling are straightforward and correct.
An important thing to keep in mind is how each panel flows into the next. You should try your best to make each transition seamless; this will not only make your book easier to read, but will give the artist a great flow to work off of.
When I write I try to treat each page as if it were a short story, or an old-style cliffhanger. Each page has a beginning, middle and end. Of course the end of the page is not the end of the story so you want to give that last panel a great tense moment, this way the reader will want to burn through each page.
Now, to make matters even more complicated, I like to write each panel the same way. Every panel should naturally lead to the next in some fashion, just as each page leads to the next. A great way to think about this is if you were to take a movie and create a series of images out of it, you’d only want to select those key frames that tell the story and that lead to the next frame of the film. You’d excise all those boring frames until you had only the core images of the film. It’s no different in a comic. Only keep what you need, and keep the story moving forward.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is to never repeat, in captions or dialog, what is visually happening on the page. This creates a redundant layering of information and tends to bore readers. The words should always be supplemental to the pictures and vice-versa.
Be aware of transitions and experiment with them. Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. Notice how they switch scenes and try to adapt that to your work. See what works, and what doesn’t. Poor pacing and poor transitions can be just as distracting as poor writing, or redundant dialog.
Be very aware of how much text you’re putting into each panel. Each speech balloon shouldn’t contain much more than 20 to 25 words, and each panel shouldn’t contain more than 30 to 35 words.
Comics are an amazing storytelling tool, they aren’t bound by time restrictions like television or movies, every person who reads a comic is free to read at their own pace. The next time you’re reading a comic really pay attention to the craftsmanship that went into it. Each element should reflect off of and inform upon every other element.
Mucci, Tim. “How To Write An Awesome Comic Book Script.” Ehow.com. 2011. Web. 5 April, 2011.
Now that we’ve been discussing the use of comics in technical communication, it’s time for you to create your own.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to take your instructions or technical description and adapt it into a comics format. It can either be a direct adaptation from your instructions or description to a comic, or a combination of your instructions and description into a comic. The first step is to make a script/summary of your instructions or description. The second step is to create the actual visual representation.

A lot of your information will have to be shifted and adapted to fit this new format. Aside from that, your audience may be broader now, so you’ll also have to consider what this new audience expects. You’ll have to engage critically and put yourself in their shoes to aid this.

The Script

The first step towards creating visual comics is purely writing. This stage is the script. Like an outline to a paper or an annotated bibliography to a research project, the script is the drafting stage of your finished product. Most of you have probably never created a document like this. Further on there are some great tips (provided by [i.e., stolen from] Tim Mucci).

Now is the time to begin planning how you can take your written copy and turn it into a graphical representation. Will you follow McCloud’s approach of having a drawn narrator? Though this isn’t necessary, it probably will make things easiest (what will this narrator be?). Will you create a straightforward piece or will you rely more on an abstract representation? These will be the things you need to justify and think about.

Following Mucci’s example, format your script to look like this:

Page 1
Panel 1
Here is where you write what is happening in this panel.
Character dialog
“This is a character speaking.”
Panel 2
Something else is happening now.
Mucci also points out that, “you’re in control page by page and panel to panel. Each page of comic script allows for about one to nine panels; often less but rarely ever more. Do not try to pack too much into a page unless it serves your story to do so” (Mucci). Have fun with this and use the examples in class (or look for some on the internet) to base your comic on.
Planning

You’ll probably find that your script and your finished product will not be exactly the same. Be willing and prepared to change your plans as you go if you find something isn’t working. Some questions to consider as you do this are as follows:
• What elements of my instructions/descriptions are the most essential? How will I include them in my comics?
• What images should I choose to represent my ideas? Why will I choose those images?
• What will my audience expect? What will they be expecting from my instructions/description? How is this different from the audience for my original instructions/description (if it is)? How will I adapt my instructions to meet this new audience and fit this new medium?

Drafting

How you create this is up to you, but here are some easy methods to try out:

1. You can draw (either digitally or by hand and then scan) your images and organize them in a program like InDesign.
2. You can use one of the following programs (or a combination of them):
• Comic Life 3 (you can download a free month trial for Mac or Windows at plasq.com)
• Toon Doo (it’s free but costs to export images, so you can just use a screenshot and put them into a different program)
• Pixton (this one has some great avatar capabilities)

Requirements

The comics should:
1. follow the instructions or description requirements and accomplish their purposes
2. have between three to nine panels per page (you can justify more or less if needed) and be between four and seven pages long
3. have a combination of box text, dialog text, and graphics
4. use original images (either photographs or drawings)
5. be created in a pdf format (it does not have to be in color)
Tim Mucci’s advice from ehow.com:
Try to be concise and thoughtful. Be sure to label each page and panel, and if a page of script runs longer than a single typed page be sure to make a note of it. It’s as simple as writing: Page 1 (cont.) Be certain that your grammar and spelling are straightforward and correct.
An important thing to keep in mind is how each panel flows into the next. You should try your best to make each transition seamless; this will not only make your book easier to read, but will give the artist a great flow to work off of.
When I write I try to treat each page as if it were a short story, or an old-style cliffhanger. Each page has a beginning, middle and end. Of course the end of the page is not the end of the story so you want to give that last panel a great tense moment, this way the reader will want to burn through each page.
Now, to make matters even more complicated, I like to write each panel the same way. Every panel should naturally lead to the next in some fashion, just as each page leads to the next. A great way to think about this is if you were to take a movie and create a series of images out of it, you’d only want to select those key frames that tell the story and that lead to the next frame of the film. You’d excise all those boring frames until you had only the core images of the film. It’s no different in a comic. Only keep what you need, and keep the story moving forward.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is to never repeat, in captions or dialog, what is visually happening on the page. This creates a redundant layering of information and tends to bore readers. The words should always be supplemental to the pictures and vice-versa.
Be aware of transitions and experiment with them. Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. Notice how they switch scenes and try to adapt that to your work. See what works, and what doesn’t. Poor pacing and poor transitions can be just as distracting as poor writing, or redundant dialog.
Be very aware of how much text you’re putting into each panel. Each speech balloon shouldn’t contain much more than 20 to 25 words, and each panel shouldn’t contain more than 30 to 35 words.
Comics are an amazing storytelling tool, they aren’t bound by time restrictions like television or movies, every person who reads a comic is free to read at their own pace. The next time you’re reading a comic really pay attention to the craftsmanship that went into it. Each element should reflect off of and inform upon every other element.
Mucci, Tim. “How To Write An Awesome Comic Book Script.” Ehow.com. 2011. Web. 5 April, 2011.

Comics!

Now that we’ve been discussing the use of comics in technical communication, it’s time for you to create your own.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to take your instructions or technical description and adapt it into a comics format. It can either be a direct adaptation from your instructions or description to a comic, or a combination of your instructions and description into a comic. The first step is to make a script/summary of your instructions or description. The second step is to create the actual visual representation.

A lot of your information will have to be shifted and adapted to fit this new format. Aside from that, your audience may be broader now, so you’ll also have to consider what this new audience expects. You’ll have to engage critically and put yourself in their shoes to aid this.

The Script

The first step towards creating visual comics is purely writing. This stage is the script. Like an outline to a paper or an annotated bibliography to a research project, the script is the drafting stage of your finished product. Most of you have probably never created a document like this. Further on there are some great tips (provided by [i.e., stolen from] Tim Mucci).

Now is the time to begin planning how you can take your written copy and turn it into a graphical representation. Will you follow McCloud’s approach of having a drawn narrator? Though this isn’t necessary, it probably will make things easiest (what will this narrator be?). Will you create a straightforward piece or will you rely more on an abstract representation? These will be the things you need to justify and think about.

Following Mucci’s example, format your script to look like this:

Page 1
Panel 1
Here is where you write what is happening in this panel.
Character dialog
“This is a character speaking.”
Panel 2
Something else is happening now.
Mucci also points out that, “you’re in control page by page and panel to panel. Each page of comic script allows for about one to nine panels; often less but rarely ever more. Do not try to pack too much into a page unless it serves your story to do so” (Mucci). Have fun with this and use the examples in class (or look for some on the internet) to base your comic on.
Planning

You’ll probably find that your script and your finished product will not be exactly the same. Be willing and prepared to change your plans as you go if you find something isn’t working. Some questions to consider as you do this are as follows:
• What elements of my instructions/descriptions are the most essential? How will I include them in my comics?
• What images should I choose to represent my ideas? Why will I choose those images?
• What will my audience expect? What will they be expecting from my instructions/description? How is this different from the audience for my original instructions/description (if it is)? How will I adapt my instructions to meet this new audience and fit this new medium?

Drafting

How you create this is up to you, but here are some easy methods to try out:

1. You can draw (either digitally or by hand and then scan) your images and organize them in a program like InDesign.
2. You can use one of the following programs (or a combination of them):
• Comic Life 3 (you can download a free month trial for Mac or Windows at plasq.com)
• Toon Doo (it’s free but costs to export images, so you can just use a screenshot and put them into a different program)
• Pixton (this one has some great avatar capabilities)

Requirements

The comics should:
1. follow the instructions or description requirements and accomplish their purposes
2. have between three to nine panels per page (you can justify more or less if needed) and be between four and seven pages long
3. have a combination of box text, dialog text, and graphics
4. use original images (either photographs or drawings)
5. be created in a pdf format (it does not have to be in color)
Tim Mucci’s advice from ehow.com:
Try to be concise and thoughtful. Be sure to label each page and panel, and if a page of script runs longer than a single typed page be sure to make a note of it. It’s as simple as writing: Page 1 (cont.) Be certain that your grammar and spelling are straightforward and correct.
An important thing to keep in mind is how each panel flows into the next. You should try your best to make each transition seamless; this will not only make your book easier to read, but will give the artist a great flow to work off of.
When I write I try to treat each page as if it were a short story, or an old-style cliffhanger. Each page has a beginning, middle and end. Of course the end of the page is not the end of the story so you want to give that last panel a great tense moment, this way the reader will want to burn through each page.
Now, to make matters even more complicated, I like to write each panel the same way. Every panel should naturally lead to the next in some fashion, just as each page leads to the next. A great way to think about this is if you were to take a movie and create a series of images out of it, you’d only want to select those key frames that tell the story and that lead to the next frame of the film. You’d excise all those boring frames until you had only the core images of the film. It’s no different in a comic. Only keep what you need, and keep the story moving forward.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is to never repeat, in captions or dialog, what is visually happening on the page. This creates a redundant layering of information and tends to bore readers. The words should always be supplemental to the pictures and vice-versa.
Be aware of transitions and experiment with them. Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. Notice how they switch scenes and try to adapt that to your work. See what works, and what doesn’t. Poor pacing and poor transitions can be just as distracting as poor writing, or redundant dialog.
Be very aware of how much text you’re putting into each panel. Each speech balloon shouldn’t contain much more than 20 to 25 words, and each panel shouldn’t contain more than 30 to 35 words.
Comics are an amazing storytelling tool, they aren’t bound by time restrictions like television or movies, every person who reads a comic is free to read at their own pace. The next time you’re reading a comic really pay attention to the craftsmanship that went into it. Each element should reflect off of and inform upon every other element.
Mucci, Tim. “How To Write An Awesome Comic Book Script.” Ehow.com. 2011. Web. 5 April, 2011.
Now that we’ve been discussing the use of comics in technical communication, it’s time for you to create your own.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to take your instructions or technical description and adapt it into a comics format. It can either be a direct adaptation from your instructions or description to a comic, or a combination of your instructions and description into a comic. The first step is to make a script/summary of your instructions or description. The second step is to create the actual visual representation.

A lot of your information will have to be shifted and adapted to fit this new format. Aside from that, your audience may be broader now, so you’ll also have to consider what this new audience expects. You’ll have to engage critically and put yourself in their shoes to aid this.

The Script

The first step towards creating visual comics is purely writing. This stage is the script. Like an outline to a paper or an annotated bibliography to a research project, the script is the drafting stage of your finished product. Most of you have probably never created a document like this. Further on there are some great tips (provided by [i.e., stolen from] Tim Mucci).

Now is the time to begin planning how you can take your written copy and turn it into a graphical representation. Will you follow McCloud’s approach of having a drawn narrator? Though this isn’t necessary, it probably will make things easiest (what will this narrator be?). Will you create a straightforward piece or will you rely more on an abstract representation? These will be the things you need to justify and think about.

Following Mucci’s example, format your script to look like this:

Page 1
Panel 1
Here is where you write what is happening in this panel.
Character dialog
“This is a character speaking.”
Panel 2
Something else is happening now.
Mucci also points out that, “you’re in control page by page and panel to panel. Each page of comic script allows for about one to nine panels; often less but rarely ever more. Do not try to pack too much into a page unless it serves your story to do so” (Mucci). Have fun with this and use the examples in class (or look for some on the internet) to base your comic on.
Planning

You’ll probably find that your script and your finished product will not be exactly the same. Be willing and prepared to change your plans as you go if you find something isn’t working. Some questions to consider as you do this are as follows:
• What elements of my instructions/descriptions are the most essential? How will I include them in my comics?
• What images should I choose to represent my ideas? Why will I choose those images?
• What will my audience expect? What will they be expecting from my instructions/description? How is this different from the audience for my original instructions/description (if it is)? How will I adapt my instructions to meet this new audience and fit this new medium?

Drafting

How you create this is up to you, but here are some easy methods to try out:

1. You can draw (either digitally or by hand and then scan) your images and organize them in a program like InDesign.
2. You can use one of the following programs (or a combination of them):
• Comic Life 3 (you can download a free month trial for Mac or Windows at plasq.com)
• Toon Doo (it’s free but costs to export images, so you can just use a screenshot and put them into a different program)
• Pixton (this one has some great avatar capabilities)

Requirements

The comics should:
1. follow the instructions or description requirements and accomplish their purposes
2. have between three to nine panels per page (you can justify more or less if needed) and be between four and seven pages long
3. have a combination of box text, dialog text, and graphics
4. use original images (either photographs or drawings)
5. be created in a pdf format (it does not have to be in color)
Tim Mucci’s advice from ehow.com:
Try to be concise and thoughtful. Be sure to label each page and panel, and if a page of script runs longer than a single typed page be sure to make a note of it. It’s as simple as writing: Page 1 (cont.) Be certain that your grammar and spelling are straightforward and correct.
An important thing to keep in mind is how each panel flows into the next. You should try your best to make each transition seamless; this will not only make your book easier to read, but will give the artist a great flow to work off of.
When I write I try to treat each page as if it were a short story, or an old-style cliffhanger. Each page has a beginning, middle and end. Of course the end of the page is not the end of the story so you want to give that last panel a great tense moment, this way the reader will want to burn through each page.
Now, to make matters even more complicated, I like to write each panel the same way. Every panel should naturally lead to the next in some fashion, just as each page leads to the next. A great way to think about this is if you were to take a movie and create a series of images out of it, you’d only want to select those key frames that tell the story and that lead to the next frame of the film. You’d excise all those boring frames until you had only the core images of the film. It’s no different in a comic. Only keep what you need, and keep the story moving forward.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is to never repeat, in captions or dialog, what is visually happening on the page. This creates a redundant layering of information and tends to bore readers. The words should always be supplemental to the pictures and vice-versa.
Be aware of transitions and experiment with them. Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. Notice how they switch scenes and try to adapt that to your work. See what works, and what doesn’t. Poor pacing and poor transitions can be just as distracting as poor writing, or redundant dialog.
Be very aware of how much text you’re putting into each panel. Each speech balloon shouldn’t contain much more than 20 to 25 words, and each panel shouldn’t contain more than 30 to 35 words.
Comics are an amazing storytelling tool, they aren’t bound by time restrictions like television or movies, every person who reads a comic is free to read at their own pace. The next time you’re reading a comic really pay attention to the craftsmanship that went into it. Each element should reflect off of and inform upon every other element.
Mucci, Tim. “How To Write An Awesome Comic Book Script.” Ehow.com. 2011. Web. 5 April, 2011.